Days of rain may be followed by more rain

Published: Thursday, July 4, 2013 at 08:22 PM.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to avoid portions of Front Beach Road.

BCSO deputies on patrol in the unincorporated areas of Panama City Beach report travel conditions along Front Beach Road have become increasingly hazardous due to the weather.

The intersections of Laurie Avenue, Ann Avenue, Dorothy Avenue and Joan Avenue along Front Beach Road are extremely dangerous due to flooding, with water nearly a foot and a half deep in some areas, BCSO said. Neighboring streets of these intersections are also reported becoming increasingly dangerous.

Bay County has closed a portion of Joan Avenue between North Lagoon and Thomas Drive. No traffic is allowed in that area due to dangerous flooding.

Fireworks

In addition to making driving dangerous, the weather played havoc with Fourth of July fireworks.

Panama City officials had planned to carry on with the Salute to Freedom and the fireworks at the Panama City Marina, but made the decision Thursday afternoon to postpone the event until Saturday from 2-10 p.m.

PANAMA CITY — A driving rain fell all day Thursday, prompting officials to open an emergency shelter at the fairgrounds and close roads across the county.

There were too many fender benders, stalled cars and flooded streets to count, and tow truck drivers stayed busy throughout the day.

At 5 p.m., the National Weather Service said the official rainfall amount in Panama City was 4.17 inches.

There were unconfirmed reports of some apartments flooding, and the American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at the fairgrounds at 7 p.m. in case anyone was flooded out.

By nightfall, officials said water in many places was beginning to recede, but more rain may be coming.

According to the National Weather Service, chances for rain and thunderstorms remain at 70 percent Friday and were expected to continue at that rate through Saturday night. Thunderstorms were 60 percent likely Sunday before dropping to 30 percent Monday morning.

Just west of Bay County, Inlet Beach received the densest amount rain in the area at 17.44 inches as of 10 a.m. Thursday. Areas near the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport received 8.75 inches since July 3.

Other measurements as of 5 p.m. include 6.35 inches in Callaway, 4.21 inches in Fountain and 7.01 inches in Hiland Park.

“Basically there is a deep plume of tropical moisture and we are stuck in a corridor of it,” said Jeff Evans, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Tallahassee.

Systems to the west and to the east were steering the moisture straight through Bay County and not in a hasty manner.

“That’s not gonna change a whole lot as we go into the end of the week,” Evans said. “It should start winding down starting Saturday but we are still going to be dealing with showers and thunderstorms through the early part of next week.”

Flash flood watches were extended in central Bay County, Holmes, Washington and Walton counties through Friday. Double red flags were raised on the beach as of Thursday, though weather officials hoped to downgrade as the weekend progresses.

The Florida Department of Transportation said all rail, airport, transit and seaport facilities are functioning as normal.

Several roads have water crossing the road for a short period of time and then receding, FDOT said.

“Motorists are reminded to be watchful of other drivers and road conditions and to be on the lookout for flooded roads,” FDOT said in a new release. “If the road ahead is flooded, turn around and find an alternate route. Flooded roads may hide the fact that the roadway is washed out underneath and as little as six inches of rushing water can force your car off the road.”

The situation Thursday was fluid as one street after another was closed.

Panama City of officials say the following streets or intersections have been closed or will be closed soon as of Thursday afternoon:

- West 19th Street and Foster Avenue

- 500 block of Bonita Avenue

-Frank Nelson Drive at Mercedes Avenue

-Oak Avenue and Fourth Street

-Summer Circle

-Mallory Drive

-West 16th Street

-18th Street at Arthur Drive

-4000 block Brontle Circle

-1000 block West 11th St.

-Friendship Avenue at 15th Street

-Agnes Scott Drive

-2300 block Stanford Road

-800 block College Avenue

-1500 block Oak Avenue

-Rosemont Drive off Stanford

-Lisenby Avenue at Stephen Drive

-19th Street at Magnolia

-West 19th Street at Cincinnati

-Mulberry Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets

-10th and Magnolia

-10th at Louisiana

-13th Street at Florida Avenue

-18th Street at Calhoun Avenue

-Grant at 22nd.

In Panama City Beach, several areas of Middle Beach and Front Beach roads were closed.

The Florida Highway Patrol listed more than a dozen roads closed or water over the road, including:

-Bay County: Hickory Street at U.S. 98, State 77 at County 388, State 22 at County 2297, State 79 at Steelfield Road.

-Holmes: State 79 in Bonifay, State 81 at Vortex Spring Road.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to avoid portions of Front Beach Road.

BCSO deputies on patrol in the unincorporated areas of Panama City Beach report travel conditions along Front Beach Road have become increasingly hazardous due to the weather.

The intersections of Laurie Avenue, Ann Avenue, Dorothy Avenue and Joan Avenue along Front Beach Road are extremely dangerous due to flooding, with water nearly a foot and a half deep in some areas, BCSO said. Neighboring streets of these intersections are also reported becoming increasingly dangerous.

Bay County has closed a portion of Joan Avenue between North Lagoon and Thomas Drive. No traffic is allowed in that area due to dangerous flooding.

Fireworks

In addition to making driving dangerous, the weather played havoc with Fourth of July fireworks.

Panama City officials had planned to carry on with the Salute to Freedom and the fireworks at the Panama City Marina, but made the decision Thursday afternoon to postpone the event until Saturday from 2-10 p.m.

In Panama City Beach, holiday fireworks were rescheduled to take place at the Russell-Fields City Pier across from Pier Park at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Boardwalk Beach Resort also will be hosting a beachfront fireworks show Friday behind the resort at 8:30 p.m.

Fireworks shows at Grand Lagoon have been postponed until Saturday at 9 p.m., and Water Color Inn in Santa Rosa Beach also canceled its fireworks show due to high winds and surf.

Callaway announced its Independence Day event, “An Old Fashioned Independence Day,” would be postponed until July 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Veterans Park.

Washington County

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Board of Commissioners have announced a local state of emergency.

Rising water and rain have made the dirt roads unstable and running waters have begun to erode the travel lanes, Washington County officials said. Several paved roads have water standing or running across them creating travel hazards.

In a meeting at the Emergency Operations Center Thursday afternoon, the Washington County Board of County Commissioners declared all the roads in Washington County hazardous for traffic. The board urges all residents to use extreme caution and limit all travel to only that which is necessary.

Emergency management officials and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Washington County Agricultural Center in Chipley. The Ag Center is located on U.S. 90 West in Chipley.

Near the intersection of Joan Avenue and Lagoon Drive in Panama City Beach, a lift station overflowed Wednesday due to heavy rainfall and discharged untreated sewage into Grand Lagoon waters, according to the Florida Department of Health in Bay County. Health officials advise against swimming in the Grand Lagoon between Joan Avenue and Thomas until further notice. Contaminated water can expose swimmers to intestinal viruses, bacteria and parasites.

Driving rain also can cause driving problems, especially at a time that traditional sees heavy holiday traffic.

Authorities urged caution on the roadways as heavy rain and strong thunderstorms bore down this week.

“They should be taking all the safety precautions they normally would in driving in inclement weather,” Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Preston said Wednesday. “They need to utilize their wipers and keep their headlights on, and try to drive a little bit further behind the vehicle in front of them. And slow down and try to avoid driving through standing water.”

An average of 491 traffic deaths occur July Fourth, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most fatal crashes occur on two-lane roads, the NHTSA notes, and more people die driving in the rain than in snow or sleet.

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